COVID-19 Herd Immunity In LA Not Likely Until August

Last month, health officials predicted that Los Angeles County could reach herd immunity against COVID-19 by mid- or late July.

Now, given the current rate of vaccinations, many are changing that prediction to late August.

Just over half of Angelenos are fully vaccinated against the virus. The goal is to get that rate to at least 80%.

The county is currently dispensing about 100,000 shots each week. Public health director Barbara Ferrer says officials have more than a million doses to go before reaching their target.

"Obviously, we would like for this to happen sooner,” she said. “We're hoping that with easier access and more opportunities to get questions answered about vaccine safety, we can increase the number of doses we're administering each week."

Currently, younger Black and Latino residents have the lowest vaccination rates countywide, particularly among preteens and teenagers.